Loan disbursement through agent banking services in Bangladesh grew by about 46 percent over the past year, according to the latest quarterly report from Bangladesh Bank. As of December 2025, total loans under agent banking stood at Tk 35,023 crore, up from Tk 24,028 crore a year earlier. Deposits also increased by 18.51 percent to Tk 49,720 crore, while remittance distribution rose by 15.48 percent. Brac Bank led loan disbursement with 72.12 percent of the total, followed by City Bank, Bank Asia, Islami Bank, and Dutch-Bangla Bank.

Industry sources attribute the growth to easier loan procedures, lower interest rates, and the convenience of accessing services locally without visiting bank branches. Agent banking allows third-party outlets to provide nearly all banking services, including account opening, deposits, withdrawals, bill payments, and remittance collection. These outlets operate mainly in rural areas, where 84 percent of agents are based.

Despite the growth in transactions, the number of agents and outlets declined in 2025. The total number of agents fell to 15,327 from 16,021 the previous year, while outlets decreased by 747, indicating consolidation within the expanding service network.

Booker Prize–winning Indian author and activist Arundhati Roy has declined an invitation to the Berlin International Film Festival after expressing outrage at comments made by jury members regarding the situation in Gaza. In a statement on Friday, Roy said she was deeply hurt and disturbed by remarks from jury president Wim Wenders and others during a Thursday press conference, where they suggested filmmakers should stay away from politics.

The controversy arose when a journalist asked the jury about the German government's support for Israel and its stance on human rights. Wenders responded that filmmakers should not engage in politics, emphasizing that their work is for the public, not politicians. Roy condemned these comments as “conscience-less,” describing the Gaza situation as genocide by Israel against Palestinians. She argued that artists and filmmakers have a moral duty to speak out against such atrocities.

Roy’s 1989 film “In Which Annie Gives It Those Ones” was scheduled to be screened in the festival’s classics section from February 12 to 22, but she has now withdrawn her participation.

An Indian national, Nikhil Gupta, has pleaded guilty in the Southern District Federal Court of New York to attempting to assassinate US citizen and Sikh separatist leader Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. The 54-year-old admitted before Judge Sarah Netburn that he hired a hitman in 2023 to kill Pannun, who resides in New York. Gupta told the court he paid $15,000 to someone he believed was a contract killer, who was actually linked to the US Drug Enforcement Administration. Pannun leads the US-based group Sikhs for Justice, which campaigns for an independent Khalistan state in India’s Punjab region.

According to the US Attorney’s Office, Gupta was arrested in June 2023 at Prague Airport in the Czech Republic and extradited to the United States. He has been convicted of conspiring to murder Pannun, with sentencing scheduled for May 29. Under US law, he faces 20 to 24 years in prison. FBI officials said Pannun was targeted for exercising his freedom of expression. The FBI also alleged Gupta worked with Indian intelligence officer Vikas Yadav, who remains at large.

The case has strained relations between Washington, Ottawa, and New Delhi, as the US and Canada accuse India of targeting their citizens of Indian origin. Indian officials deny the allegations, calling such actions contrary to national policy.

Police in Hatiya, Noakhali, have stated that no incident of rape occurred involving a mother of three in Chanandi Union. Assistant Police Superintendent Nurul Anwar confirmed this on Saturday night, February 14, after visiting the woman’s home and speaking with local residents. The statement followed allegations made the previous night that the woman had been raped and assaulted in her home over a dispute related to voting for the Shapla Koli symbol.

According to Additional Superintendent of Police (Administration and Finance) Abu Tayeb Md Arif Hossain, an additional police officer was sent to investigate after the complaint surfaced on social media. He said local inquiries found no evidence of rape, though a physical altercation had occurred in the Ashrayan Project area. The accused individual was reportedly hospitalized two hours before the alleged incident. Police said they would take further action if a written complaint was filed.

The local BNP unit formally protested, calling the allegations baseless and politically motivated. Former BNP president Alauddin Roni urged a fair investigation to uncover the truth. The alleged victim could not be reached for comment.

A man named Abdur Rahim Bhuttu Soiyal, aged 45, was hacked to death on Saturday night in Rasulpur Union under Shashibhushan Police Station of Charfassion upazila, Bhola. The attack occurred around 9:30 p.m. near Kolar Hat Road following a dispute linked to a drug-related conflict involving his son. Locals rescued the severely injured victim and took him to Charfassion Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.

According to local sources, the incident stemmed from a dispute after Bhuttu Soiyal’s son, Amir Hossain, paid Tk 4,000 to a man named Bellal for drugs but was later beaten when he demanded the money back. Angered by the assault on his son, Bhuttu Soiyal reportedly verbally confronted the accused, leading to his fatal attack the next night. The victim’s daughter demanded capital punishment for those responsible, alleging they had been extorting money from her father since August 5.

Shashibhushan Police Station Officer-in-Charge Fakhrul Islam said the killing appeared to have resulted from a drug-related conflict and that legal action would follow pending investigation.

Police in Lalpur upazila of Natore district arrested two alleged drug dealers with 4,800 yaba pills worth about Tk 1 million during a special operation in Mohorkoya village on Saturday, February 14. Acting on a tip-off, officers from Lalpur Police Station conducted the raid from afternoon to evening and detained the suspects, identified as Md. Bellal Sarkar, 55, and his wife, Mosammat Marzina Khatun, 50. The drugs were recovered from their bodies and home during the search.

According to police, the couple had been involved in drug trading in the area for a long time. The seized yaba tablets have an estimated market value of around Tk 1 million. A case under the Narcotics Control Act is being processed against the two detainees.

Lalpur Police Station Officer-in-Charge Md. Mojibur Rahman confirmed the arrests and said the anti-drug operations would continue. He urged residents to remain vigilant to help keep the community free from drugs.

A mother of three in Abdullahpur Union’s Ward 7 of Charfassion, Bhola, has accused three young men of raping her after breaking into her home, looting two bhori of gold and four lakh taka. The incident occurred on Tuesday night, and the woman filed a written complaint with Charfassion Police Station on Friday. According to police and the victim, the woman had withdrawn the money from a bank earlier that day to purchase land and was staying alone with her children as her husband worked in Chattogram.

The attackers allegedly tied her hands and mouth, confined her children in another room at gunpoint, and raped her in her bedroom. The suspects were identified as Nur Karim, Hanif, and Nazmul. One of the accused, Nur Karim, denied the allegation, claiming a personal dispute and asserting that his shop was robbed that same night.

Charfassion Police Station’s officer-in-charge Jahangir Badsha confirmed that a written complaint was filed and said an investigation is underway. The victim received initial medical treatment at Charfassion Upazila Health Complex.

A Dhaka University master's student named Sohana Zaman, aged 25, was attacked by snatchers while traveling in a moving rickshaw near Paltan intersection in the capital on Saturday night around 8:30 p.m. The assailants forcibly took her earring, injuring her left ear. The incident occurred as she was returning to her university hall from Kamalapur.

After the attack, the injured student went to Dhaka Medical College Hospital for treatment. Hospital sources confirmed that she received care in ward 303 and later left the hospital after treatment. Inspector Md. Faruk, in charge of the DMCH police camp, stated that the student is a resident of Rokeya Hall.

The report highlights the growing concern over street snatching incidents in Dhaka, particularly targeting women traveling alone at night, though no further details about the suspects or investigation were provided.

A man named Md. Mostafa, aged 50, was shot dead by unidentified assailants while on his way to a mosque in Rajshahi on Saturday night. The incident occurred around 8 p.m. in the Khojapur graveyard area under Motihar Police Station. Locals took Mostafa to Rajshahi Medical College Hospital, where doctors declared him dead upon arrival.

According to local residents, Mostafa was the son of Taimur Uddin from the Danshmari area and worked at a flour mill. They said he had no political affiliation and was heading to perform evening prayers when he was targeted. A live bullet and a shell casing were found at the scene. Dr. M.A. Jalil from the hospital’s emergency department confirmed that Mostafa had been shot in the right leg and sustained a head injury, leading to fatal blood loss.

Rajshahi Metropolitan Police spokesperson Additional Deputy Commissioner Gaziur Rahman stated that police were dispatched immediately and an investigation is underway to identify those responsible.

A man named Shakir, aged 42, was allegedly beaten to death on Friday night in Doati village of Kachua upazila, Chandpur. The incident occurred near a fish project owned by Bikash Chandra Sarkar, reportedly due to a long-standing dispute. Shakir’s wife, Rozina, filed a murder case with Kachua Police Station naming ten individuals. Police have arrested two suspects, Bikash Chandra Sarkar and Sohrab Mia, in connection with the case.

According to the case statement, Shakir was called to the site by Bikash and his employee Sohrab, where he was attacked with local weapons and sustained severe injuries. Locals rescued him and took him to Kachua Upazila Health Complex, where doctors declared him dead. Shakir’s mother and daughter claimed he was killed in a premeditated attack led by Bikash.

Kachua Police Station Officer-in-Charge Mohammad Borhan Uddin confirmed that the body was sent to Chandpur morgue for autopsy and later handed over to the family. Police operations are ongoing to arrest the remaining suspects.

A Jamaat-e-Islami activist was allegedly assaulted in Feni’s Daganbhuiyan upazila on Saturday amid an election-related dispute. The victim, Nurul Absar of South Bhabanipur village under Rajapur Union, claimed that local Jubo Dal activist Belal Hossain entered his home after prayers and attacked him, pulling his beard and beating him with sticks. His wife alleged that she was also harassed when she tried to intervene.

Local sources said the incident left Nurul Absar seriously injured. He received initial treatment at Daganbhuiyan Upazila Health Complex before being transferred to Feni General Hospital for advanced care. The victim’s wife further stated that her husband had previously received death threats during the election campaign period.

Daganbhuiyan Upazila Jamaat chief Gazi Saleh Uddin said the matter had been reported to the authorities and demanded immediate legal action against the attacker. Police have not yet issued an official statement regarding the incident.

A 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Vanuatu on February 14, 2026, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The quake’s epicenter was located about 50 kilometers west of Port Olry village on Espiritu Santo Island. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center reported that the tremor occurred around 1:30 p.m. local time but confirmed that no tsunami warning was issued.

A resort worker in Port Olry, Antelik Frank, described the quake as very strong and lasting nearly one minute, though no damage was observed in the surrounding area. Initial reports indicated no significant destruction or casualties.

Vanuatu lies within the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active region where earthquakes occur frequently. The island nation, home to about 320,000 people, often experiences such tremors due to its geological position.

An Indian national has pleaded guilty in a U.S. court to conspiring to kill a Khalistan movement leader who is an Indian-origin American citizen. The U.S. Department of Justice said that 54-year-old Nikhil Gupta admitted before a federal magistrate judge in Manhattan to charges of murder-for-hire conspiracy, hiring a hitman, and money laundering. His sentencing is scheduled for May 29 this year, and he faces up to 40 years in prison.

According to U.S. prosecutors, Gupta acted under instructions from an Indian government employee to target a U.S.-based Indian-origin individual, widely believed to be Gurpatwant Singh Pannun, a prominent Khalistan activist. Court documents identify the official as Vikas Yadav, an employee of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, under which the foreign intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) operates. Gupta allegedly sought to hire a hitman, negotiated a payment of $100,000, and provided detailed information about the target’s residence and movements.

Gupta was arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2023 and extradited to the United States in 2024. The Indian government has not yet commented on his guilty plea.

Sayem Uddin, known as the 'July Fighter' from Feni, was assaulted on Friday night by individuals described as BNP-linked attackers. The incident occurred at Korbanpur Road intersection in Sindurpur Union of Daganbhuiyan upazila. Sayem, a Fazil student at Al-Jameatul Malahia Kamil Madrasa, was beaten by four to five assailants who left him injured at the scene. He was later rescued by Abdullah Al Zobayer, ambassador of NCP’s Feni-3 constituency, and taken to Feni General Hospital for treatment.

Sayem gained national attention on August 4, 2024, for resisting armed attackers during a student-public movement in Feni’s Mohipal area. Following the latest attack, local leaders from Jamaat and Shibir visited him at the hospital and demanded the arrest of the perpetrators. Feni General Hospital authorities confirmed that Sayem is receiving adequate medical care.

District BNP’s member secretary Alal Uddin Alal said the party would investigate the matter and requested police action against anyone involved in violence. Police confirmed receiving the complaint and said legal steps would follow.

Two people were killed and three others injured in an explosion while allegedly making hand bombs at a house in Charbagdanga Union of Chapainawabganj on Saturday night. The incident occurred at the home of Kalam Ali in the Fatapara area, where a loud blast damaged part of the house and caused panic among nearby residents. The victims reportedly died on the spot, though their identities were not immediately known.

Law enforcement officials arrived shortly after the explosion, brought the situation under control, and began an investigation. Additional Superintendent of Police A N M Wasim Firoz said authorities are examining the cause of the blast and who might be involved. Officer-in-Charge Nure Alam of Sadar Police Station confirmed the casualties and said the injured were in critical condition.

The explosion has left the local community in shock and tension, with police continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident.